I dont recommend feeding eggs back to chickens. The residue however slight will help build worm resistance the next time the wormer is used...not to mention possibly increasing the withdrawal period. Same is true for antibiotics given to chickens.

This is my first flock and my question is how do you know they have worms? Do you just worm them once a year for good measure? I saw a YouTube video and the woman said that if you have poo on your eggs that means your chickens have worms. I do not believe that because what if one has it on their foot and accidentally gets it on the egg. I don't think that is a good way to judge.

This is my first flock and my question is how do you know they have worms? Do you just worm them once a year for good measure? I saw a YouTube video and the woman said that if you have poo on your eggs that means your chickens have worms. I do not believe that because what if one has it on their foot and accidentally gets it on the egg. I don't think that is a good way to judge.

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You're absolutely correct. I've had eggs with poop on them and I can assure you that my birds were wormed.
When chickens become lethargic and eat/drink very little, or dont eat or drink at all and stop laying with what appears to be no other symptoms...chances are very good that it's worms.

This is my first flock and my question is how do you know they have worms? Do you just worm them once a year for good measure? I saw a YouTube video and the woman said that if you have poo on your eggs that means your chickens have worms. I do not believe that because what if one has it on their foot and accidentally gets it on the egg. I don't think that is a good way to judge.

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I have been told not to worm mine unless I see worms in the poop, but I wormed mine just in case because where I am, it has rained everyday this summer and the coop is having a hard time drying out. One way to keep your hens parasite free is to make sure that their coop isn't muddy, if it is muddy, put down lots of hay or bedding and keep their waterers clean. Also, research is saying that these wormers we hare using for our hens stay in their systems forever, so only worm when you see worms or are in a super rainy area.

Dewormer's do not stay in the birds systems forever, at least not at any level that would be effective against anything at all. That's why there is an egg withdrawal period of 10 to 14 days after deworming, that gives plenty of time for the dewormer to be metabolized and passed out of the chickens body. If they stayed in the bird forever there would be constant residue in the meat and eggs. Do you have links to this research?

The problem with waiting to deworm until you see worms in their poop or until you see chickens in poor health is that by then they likely have a heavy load of parasites along with all the intestinal damage that parasites can do. Chickens are going to get worms eventually simply due to their life style, just as every other animal, cat, dog, horse, cow, sheep, goat, etc. etc. all get worms. It's far better for the chickens to stay on top of it with a regular deworming program then to let them get run down because of worms. Wormy chickens also increase the parasite egg load in their environment so it's a nasty cycle. You can't eradicate worms from the environment but good control in the animals decreases the load.

In addition to what Cafarmgirl stated; rather than putting a bunch of hay or bedding in a muddy pen or run really doesnt help matters. However, a pickup truck load of sand or two will make a big difference, and it doesnt cost much. Sand wont wash away in a rain storm, just like at the beach. Sand absorbs water and dries quicker. It also deters parasites including flies and is easier to scoop poop.